Girl at the End of the World

Girl at the End of the World

Manchester’s James have been crafting indelible Britpop anthems since the early ‘80s, and they continue to deliver on their 14th album. The barroom-ready “Nothing but Love” combines a shout-along chorus with a slippery synth line, while “To My Surprise” features the band’s trademark canny lyrics. But there’s more to James than festival-worthy sing-alongs; the spiraling “Alvin” and the claustrophobic “Waking” strip down to catchy hooks and New Wave moxie, while “Move Down South” is immersed in fuzzy guitars and heady Western imagery.